Hannover Fairs Australia is thrilled to announce that Stephen Scheeler, former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, has joined as the new chairman of CEBIT Australia, Asia-Pacific’s most significant B2B innovation and technology event which will be held next year in Sydney from October 29-31.

You’ve seen the movies, the colourful boxes at the toy store, and you might’ve even been to one of its many theme parks. That’s right, we’re talking about LEGO – the Danish-owned toy manufacturer of over 400 billion interlocking bricks that have entertained kids and adults alike for nearly a century.

Much has been said about blockchain technology and its potential applications, but can it really usher the world into a future where traceability, identity security, and speedier, more secure transactions are no longer nagging problems for businesses and individuals?

Binoo Joseph is Head of Technology for Tesco PLC (Singapore). As one of the world’s largest retailers, Tesco understands the transformational impact of cloud technology – and how it can be harnessed to deliver a seamless customer experience.

Cybersecurity is currently one of the thorniest issues business and industry are facing. How do you ensure your systems, operations and data are as protected as possible from increasingly sophisticated attacks?

Twenty three start-up companies and organisations from the Hunter and Central Coast regions north of Sydney commandeered a bus this week - the ‘start-up Xpress’ - to travel to the Asia Pacific’s largest technology exhibition.

If there’s one thing we’ve been reminded of at CeBIT Australia 2018, it is the rapid pace of change. In fact, a key reason for attending the event is to try and keep up with the constantly evolving business and technology landscape.

Some of the statistics around the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) are staggering. Speaking at CeBIT Australia 2018, Justin Nelson, Head of IoT APAC, Vodafone Global Enterprise, and Leticia Jennings, Country Manager IoT, Vodafone Australia, revealed the numbers from a specially commissioned Vodafone report, and showed how the real potential of Internet of Things lies in its benefit to people.

UTS Advanced Analytics Institute (AAI) is collaborating with ANZ-OnePath, one of Australia’s leading providers of wealth, insurance and advice solutions, to harness advances in machine learning, data science and predictive analytics to do things differently…

Artificial intelligence (AI) used to belong in science fiction. But as Xiaofeng Ren, Chief Scientist and Associate Dean, Machine Intelligence and Technology at Alibaba explained at CeBIT Australia 2018, AI is not only science fact, it’s steadily transforming the way industries operate.

CeBIT Australia is hosting the largest start-up showcase in the Asia Pacific with over 100 tech focused start-ups presenting products and services to potential customers, investors or partners over its three days.

Top ten tech start-ups to go head-to-head for the coveted title of PitchFest Winner

CeBIT Australia’s PitchFest is a 'Shark Tank' style competition giving ten of the nation's most promising start-ups the opportunity to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to an esteemed panel of judges, before an audience of fellow start-ups, investors and potential customers.

Digital technology has made it infinitely easier for businesses to reach and engage with their customers (and vice-versa). However, in a time of great technological innovation, consumers are still very much after the personal touch.

Traditionally, the chief information officer (CIO) role was about delivery, support and backend operations. In other words, their focus was on “keeping the lights on”, rather than innovation and business strategy. But as digital transformation continues to revolutionise just about every aspect of business, CIOs, as technology experts, are having to step to the forefront of their organisations in order to help them succeed.

As CeBIT Australia 2018 fast approaches, one of the most anticipated events is the PitchFest, where start-ups go head-to-head in front of our highly experienced panel of judges, and an audience of fellow start-ups, investors and potential customers, to see who will come out on top.

For the past 25 years, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has been driving an innovation nation through the iAwards program. Australia's longest running and most broadly scoped innovation recognition program, the iAwards promotes excellence in the Australian digital ecosystem that is making a difference. The iAwards has unearthed, recognised and rewarded excellence in Australian innovation from the likes of Google Maps, Atlassian, Wotif and WiseTech Global.

Corporate travel is the second largest indirect spend for business but most are struggling to unlock a greater return on investment. The key is using the right travel tech which will not only help your bottom line, but protect your employees and keep your data secure.

The NSW-Israel Research and Development (R&D) and Technological Innovation Program provides funding to assist NSW and Israel entities to cooperate on joint R&D projects. These projects will advance market-driven, new and innovative products for the global market and with the potential to contribute to economic growth, skills development and job creation. The program implements the agreement on bilateral co-operation in R&D and technical innovation between the NSW Government and the State of Israel.

We spoke with Toby Walsh about Artificial Intelligence and why many fears are wrong. In his new book "It's Alive!: Artificial Intelligence from the Logic Piano to Killer Robots" Professor Walsh asks if we should be worried about the spectacular advances and if AI will really threaten our existence. Here is his opinion:

No matter what business process you want to outsource, there’ll be a vendor to match your needs. But finding your perfect match offshore partner is like searching for a needle in a haystack, with hundreds of reputable vendors in the Philippines alone.

When fourth-generation farmer Naomi Stuart hit on a new and better way to process payments for crops – a market worth an estimated $2.1 billion each year in Australia – she found financial support for her idea from an unlikely source: the NSW Government.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro unveil the Sydney Startup Hub plaque with Jobs for NSW Chairman David Thodey and Minister for Innovation Matt Kean watching on

In a major coup for NSW, Microsoft will bring its world-renowned intensive program for start-ups to the new Sydney Startup Hub, making it one of only eight locations in the world to host the accelerator program.

CeBIT Australia, Asia Pacific’s largest and longest running business technology conference and exhibition, has released the 2018 conference program. CeBIT Australia will welcome 300 leading technology suppliers to the exhibition floor, while the new streamlined conference program features over 50 expert speakers across four dedicated streams.

Deputy Premier and Skills Minister John Barilaro today announced that the growing threat of cybercrime and the potential shortage of skills to protect against it has led the NSW Government to offer subsidised training in cyber-security for the first time.

The NSW Government is calling for expressions of interest from technology companies across the state to showcase their products and services on its official stand at CeBIT Australia 2018, Asia Pacific’s largest business technology event.

The NSW Government today announced a $2 million investment in a new university-led network aimed at bolstering NSW’s cyber security research and development capability and harnessing the state’s growing cyber security industry. The NSW Cyber Security Network will bring together leading scientists and engineers from seven of the state’s universities to protect government, industry and individuals against cyberattacks.

In July 2017, it was revealed that Medicare card details were being sold on the “dark web”, by a vendor who claimed to have access to every Australian’s Medicare card details, and could supply them on request, amounting to a serious data breach.

It seems Elon Musk is at it again. At a National Governors Association meeting on 15 July, he told the audience, “I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it. I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so ethereal.”

When running any type of modern business there are so many balls flying at you all the time that you need to be an octopus just to keep them all in the air. When you’re so focused on the day-to-day, company culture can often take a back seat.

The Australian technology start-up scene is thriving, due in part to tax incentives for early-stage investors being introduced last year, as well as the $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda launched by the Turnbull government in December, which aims to help innovators gain funding to make their ideas a reality.

While experience is king when it comes to salary advancement, hitting the books is a great option for both the less-experienced IT professional, and those looking for a swifter climb up the salary ladder.

Presenting at events, such as an industry conference like CeBIT, is beneficial for two big reasons: it positions you as a thought leader within your industry, and it’s a great way to network, which may eventually lead to profitable partnerships or sales.

When launching a start-up, one has to wear many hats – researcher, developer, salesperson, admin assistant etc. Among the most important of these hats, is ‘marketer’. After all, there’s not much use having a great product if no one has heard of it, right?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are playing a much bigger part in our day-to-day lives than most people realise. An algorithm could be deciding whether you get a bank loan or credit card, whether or not you’ll be hired for a job and even whether or not you’ll be granted parole.

‘Digital transformation’ is a term that has been bandied about a lot over the past decade. Now it seems it is back in vogue, with Microsoft pushing their digital transformation capabilities hard, under the stewardship of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Earlier this month, Elon Musk flew in to announce that Tesla won the South Australian Government’s tender for the world’s largest battery installation (it’s 60% bigger than any other large-scale battery energy storage system on Earth). To top things off, Musk says if the battery isn’t complete in 100 days, it will be free!

Corporates are finding it ever-harder to recruit talent because “most of the smartest people work for someone else”, start-up accelerator Slingshot’s CEO Karen Lawson told the audience at CeBIT Australia 2017.

Back in the early 90s two self-proclaimed “total nerds” graduated from Australian National University, set up in a bedroom clad with Star Wars wallpaper, installed a second phone line and started a company.

As many speakers touched on at the recent CeBIT digital healthcare conference, those who work with healthcare data have to walk a fine line between privacy and using it to create innovative outcomes for patients.

CeBIT Australia’s strategic panel “Streamlining and growing business with the aid of technology” brought together some dynamic entrepreneurs at various stages of their journeys to share their experiences in founding their business, and creating a fertile environment for growth. This blog post summarises some of the key findings from the session.

The workplace has changed a lot over the last few decades. It’s becoming increasingly common for staff to work from various locations and there’s a need to communicate with people from all over the world due to organisational globalisation and outsourcing.

The way customers are behaving is rapidly evolving. As Brian Kracik, Senior Director, Product Marketing Enterprise and Cloud Solutions, Oracle. Inc admits, ‘From 100 years ago we were concentrating on connecting to a billion different places. 20 years ago we were connecting with billions of different people. In the next 10 years we will be connecting with billions of different things.’

What are some of the biggest issues plaguing healthcare? What do customers want from their healthcare providers? What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the digital healthcare industry?

Professor Christian Guttmann from the School of Science and Engineering at UNSW and Nordic Artificial Intelligence Institute, and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden), suggests that all business cases need to start simply with this question.

Working with and understanding practical ways to apply blockchain to Fintech is a daily task at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia according to CeBIT Australia 2017 panelist and Commonwealth Bank Executive Manager, Emerging Technology Team, Chris Connor.

Did you know that the government's attitude to cloud computing has recently become more positive? And why not? Cloud technologies offer organisations convenience and security bundled up in one tech solution.

Keyboard stickers created for #chickenfries, logging into your accounts with emojis, taking a selfie for coffee art and virtual reality cooking. If you understood what any of these things are they aren’t just made-up gibberish; these are some of the latest trends marked by Randi Zuckerberg as the next disrupters in business.

There is a near infinite pool of knowledge that can be attained by applying the insights of big data and analytics into our everyday lives. And according to NASA’s Dennis Andrucyk, this pool of knowledge expands much farther than just Earth; we should in fact be seeking intelligence by exploring outer space.

The beginnings of robotic surgery began with the prostate. Or more accurately it began with the advent of PSA screening. Before PSA screenings, prostate cancer was often not picked up until the symptomatic stage, in other words — it was too late to fight it (prostate cancer at its most curable stage is completely invisible).

Autonomous robots running a Japanese hotel and quantum computing solving our everyday problems are just two of the digital trends transforming our world according to WIRED Magazine Executive Editor, Greg Williams.

“The new systems of digital revolution are powerful, but they are also a bit scary because they have the potential to fundamentally change us as humans,” Nicholas Davis, Head of Society and Innovation at the World Economic Forum Geneva summed up one of the key dilemmas of our times.

The lesson of the 2016 census was a serious one. It brought to light issues about big data, governance and the social contract. It also exposed how difficult it can be for governments to manage risk while striving for open and agile models of operation.

For the second time, over 400 senior C-suite executives and digital leaders from Australia’s prominent enterprise and government organisations gathered at the elite, invite-only event - CeBIT Black. On Tuesday night, attendees were treated to great food, wine, entertainment, and a dynamic presentation from the event’s sponsors Accenture and Commonwealth Bank, titled ‘Fast Forward Future’.

If you reach one person online you need to start thinking about yourself as a media company. This is just a snippet of the many insights American business women and former Facebook employee, Randi Zuckerberg shared during her Day 2 keynote at CeBIT Australia 2017.

Darragh Kennedy is no stranger to cloud transformation. At his previous post at Lonely Planet and in his current role as the Platform Engineering Manager at Zendesk, he has seen how cloud technology has completely transformed the speed, scale and scope of how businesses operate.

It was fitting that Harvey Stockbridge, Managing Director Hannover Fairs Australia, commenced CeBIT Australia 2017 by taking a moment to commend its relocation to the beautiful new International Convention Centre. He acknowledged, ‘the rebuild of the ICC is a landmark project for the NSW government.’

It’s less than a week to go before CeBIT Australia takes place at the new International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. One of the highlights of this year’s event is the invite-only CeBIT Black VIP program, being held at Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf on the evening of Tuesday 23 May from 6.30pm till 10.00pm.

From bike locks that can be opened via an app to light switches that can be flicked off from your computer and phone, the Internet of Things is well and truly changing the way we do things. But it wouldn’t be possible without the innovation from companies far and wide. And one of the companies leading the way with IoT is telecommunications provider Vodafone.

For the first time, CeBIT Australia is featuring six strategic panels where some of the most successful leaders and greatest minds in the industry will debate the biggest issues in business technology.

Superannuation. It’s not the most riveting topic. If you’re under 35 the idea of retiring probably isn’t on your radar, and that’s okay considering the day you walk away from work for the last time is at least 30-40 years away.

Accessing health information in the Information Age often consists of a five-minute consultation with Dr Google. We’ve all been there. We’ve all thought that minor headache we’ve become inflicted with is some life-threatening disease that has somehow singled us out from across the cosmos.

Remote, unified and comprehensive sensors are set to be the next big thing in biometrics. ContinUse Biometrics was developed by one of the creators of Xbox Connect, and these remote sensors use similar technology in the medical space.

We love the rewards of technology, but not so much the security challenges. In an ever-evolving environment, it can be hard to put security systems in place that will only be obsolete with the next innovation in technology.

Ever wanted to know how blockchain technology can reduce fraud? Or better yet, how governments around the globe are implementing the technology for better digital services? Well the GovInnovate Team has you covered.

We’re still in the midst of a blockchain revolution, but Dilip Rao, Managing Director of Ripple APAC is looking to the future beyond the era of cryptocurrencies, to a world of connected and seamless payment systems.

In the lead-up to CeBIT Australia 2017, we had a chance to catch up with Gold Sponsor Australia Post to discover how they are innovating their services to keep up with today’s consumer expectations and demands. Read on as Regis Bauchiere, General Manager, Identity Solutions of Australia Post, tells us what we can expect from Australia Post in the next few years.

Digital delivery does not come without its challenges. Culture, processes and the digital skills required to use new technologies are just a few of the hurdles digital project teams need to mull over before they seek to transform important services.

The role of the CIO has become broader in the last few decades. They need to take on more, often with smaller budgets, managing both internal and external stakeholders. These challenges can be amplified in the public sector.

Mobility within the workplace has given businesses the opportunity to operate in a more fluid nature. However, with the opportunity to work in an incredibly flexible environment comes a range of security challenges that need to be strategically thought out and managed.

Antony Ugoni, Global Director, Matching and Artificial Intelligence at Seek joined a panel discussion at Big Data & Analytics 2016 conference powered by CeBIT Australia to discuss the ways in which businesses are currently achieving an advantage through data analytics.

Marketing used to mean flyers, commercials, ad spots and billboards like Chuck Norris’ line of ‘action jeans’ that ‘won't bind your legs, ’ (presumably while you substitute traditional walking for a series of roundhouse kicks).

Darktrace is a network solution for detecting and investigating emerging cyber-threats that evade traditional security tools. It is powered by Enterprise Immune System technology, which uses machine learning and mathematics to monitor behaviors and detect anomalies in your organization’s network. The Enterprise Immune System's mathematical approaches do not require signatures or rules and so can detect emerging ‘unknown unknown’ attacks that have not been seen before.

Telstra has long been a success story for the way they identify network issues by applying predictive analytics to operational data (Source: Forbes 2015). For businesses to emulate this success, it's important to have the right people, tools and data in place.

Organising data effectively is better for the end user. But for many businesses, breaking down silos and creating a path to effective data integration is a challenge if business intelligence systems aren't connected properly.

Like many new business technology solutions, cloud technology is developing exponentially. Attendees at Cloud 2016 at CeBIT Australia were fortunate to hear John Sheridan, First Assistant Secretary Technology & Procurement and Australian Government Procurement Coordinator, deliver his presentation on the cloud. Some of the questions he asked were: where are we now, what is the policy, where are we going?

Rocky Scopelliti, Global Industry Executive Banking, Finance & Insurance Global Industries at Telstra presented Mobile Identity at CeBIT Australia 2016. He discussed the fusion of financial services, mobility and identity by addressing what app features really matter in a mobile first world, and what role mobile plays when delivering a great customer experience.

Consumers post 500 million tweets and 55 million Facebook updates each day, so how can businesses make sense of big data sets they have been accumulating? Watch Joanna Batstones keynote presentation from CeBIT Australia 2016 on intepreting and analysing enterprise data. Joanna is IBM Research-Australia's Vice President and Lab Director, and is CTO of IBM ANZ.

When a shiny new piece of technology appears on the market, the knee-jerk reaction for many marketers is to go a bit Gollum on it, hiss myyyy precioussss and grab at it, thinking that it will be The One Thing to rule them all.

The Department of Human Services' Chief Technology Officer, Charles McHardie AM delivered a thought provoking presentation at eGovernment 2016 @ CeBIT. His presentation focused on how to recreate an organisation where its 'services are shaped' around the public.

Google’s Director of Product Management for Europe, ME and Asia, Rohit Dhawan is responsible for small to medium sized publishers who use Google Adsense. He delivered a Keynote presentation at the CeBIT Global Conferences in March 2016.

NAB’s Head of Human-Centred Design, Louise Long presented Delivering customer centric products at CeBIT Australia 2016. She discussed what customer led design is and how NAB is delivering customer centric products. Take a look at Louise’s presentation below.

There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your business: seeing your team expand in size and confidence, boldly venturing onto cool new clients and knowing that all your blood, sweat and tears are paying off.

If you work in IT, your job title is probably something along the lines of professional developer, programmer or engineer, but to the technologically illiterate, you’re a technopath capable of solving problems by mind melding with machines.

We are looking to the future with the launch of our CeBIT Australia 2017 agenda. As the largest and longest running technology conference and exhibition in the Asia-Pacific, we pride ourselves on bringing together a diverse array of experts from around the world.

Atticus Finch’s famous line — you can’t truly understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it — has been given a modern interpretation by Alzheimer’s Australia, Vic.

Imagine you’ve developed this whiz-bang new app. You’re beyond pumped to launch next week. You’ve spent years (and your savings) on this one product and it’s D-Day — the marketing launch is ready to go.

Education doesn’t finish at the end of the degree. In reality, we can never stop learning as the market always demands professionals with the latest skills. This is inherently the case when looking at IT.